In 1990 the Commonwealth Government nominated six groups, because of their history of disadvantage in relation to higher education, as targets for equity planning:

• Indigenous Australians 
• people from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds
• people from rural and isolated areas
• people with disabilities
• people of non-English speaking backgrounds, and
• women (especially women in non-traditional areas of study)

The Commonwealth provides funding to universities to improve the access, participation, retention and success of the targeted equity groups.

USC is widening participation in higher education through far reaching strategic initiatives which raise awareness of, access to and capacity for further study.

Details of current widening participation activities are available from Access and Diversity.

USC also supports the Queensland Government recognition of Australian South Sea Islanders as an equity group requiring targeted strategies to support their community priorities of improving participation in higher education and associated employment outcomes.

More information

To discuss equity based issues contact:

Access and Diversity
Tel: +61 7 5430 2893
Fax: +61 7 5459 4832
Email: diversity@usc.edu.au